RGA raises $26.6M in 2Q on Christie’s watch

NEWARK – The investigations into New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s administration don’t seem to be dimming his fundraising power.

The Republican Governors Association will report Thursday that it raised a record-breaking $26.6 million in the second quarter of 2014 under Christie’s leadership.

The total marks the highest-ever sum for the group for the period that runs from April 1 through June 30, officials said, and brings the total raised on Christie’s watch to $60 million. The previous quarterly record was $19 million in the second quarter of 2010.

“The RGA has never been in such a strong financial position,” Christie said in a statement. “It is a tribute to the sound policy, good governance and real results coming from states with Republican governors.”

The committee said it now has $70.3 million in the bank heading into the midterm elections — significantly outpacing 2010, the last time there were 36 gubernatorial races.

In late November, Christie was elected chairman of the committee to elect Republican governors. He has been traveling across the country on its behalf, fundraising for Republican candidates and raising his national profile in the process. He is currently on the road and is planning trips to Tennessee, Iowa, Connecticut, Colorado, Illinois and New Hampshire later this month, with more out-of-state trips planned for August.

Leading the organization has long been seen as a stepping stone for national office, and Christie, who is mulling a run for president in 2016 despite the ongoing fallout from the George Washington Bridge traffic scandal, has used the post to make appearances in many early voting states.

The Democratic Governors Association is expected to release its fundraising totals next week ahead of a Tuesday deadline.